Happy New Year

Just wanted to send an update from Uganda to let you know a little of what's going on...

We're still without a passport. We keep getting told to come back the next day, but each day, the person responsible for signing off on the passport is not there. We won't be returning again until Thursday because of the New Year.

The Judge decided to make some changes to our written ruling and we are still without it as well, now.

We are praying that the process picks up on Thur & Friday and at the very latest we get our passport on Monday. We've been here 31 days now and we are ready to start making our way home. Praying that this is possible over the next 2 weeks.

Since we haven't been able to conduct any business, we've had plenty of time to go out and try new restaurants like The Bay, La Chateau, and we keep going back back to Cafe Endiro because we love it so much. We've even gone on a boat ride on Lake Victoria and saw some people getting baptized (made me think of you, Mr.Kenny Sanders). We were
even treated tonight to a brand new restaurant (where a lot of white people go)... any guess where it was... ???? KFC! So we spent our New Years Eve dinner at KFC. Farouk, our driver, even tried it out for the first time and loved it. Said he's be bringing his daughters back before they go back to school. (KFC did not have Mac & Cheese or biscuits).

Dani Goggin

Eli loves the avocado they serve here! 

We are SUPER excited to see the Krause Clan on Monday. They are here in Uganda on a mission trip with Orphans Heart and will only be about an hour away on Monday. Plus, I've been told Susan might have some Mac & Cheese for me from the states, Yippee!!!

A few new things about Eli... Eli has 2 more teeth coming in on top. He clapped for the first time yesterday. Eli
is crawling a whole lot more and standing up while holding on to the couch, wall, & chairs.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon. Sooner than later for sure. Please keep praying for us. We truly are ready to be back with friends & family.

Happy New Year from Uganda,
Jamie, Paul & Eli

A Whole Lot of Waiting & a Merry Christmas

Since last Thursday, we've done a whole lot of waiting. We went to the Passport Office on Thursday and began that process. Now we are waiting on the passport to be finalized so that we can be seen at the IOM for Eli's medical examination. 

Friday we did a lot of running around to our Attorney's Office, the IOM and even had the opportunity to visit the Friday Market where we found some goodies. We ate a coffee shop recommended to us by April Graham. Even enjoyed a strawberry smoothie, which I've been craving the entire time I've been here. Eli ate almost an entire avocado (which avocado's here are nearly 3 times the size of those in the U.S.) 

Saturday we got up early and made our way to Jinja. This town was so amazing. It was like a little vacation away from the hustle and bustle of Kampala. We went with the Goggin's and were able to stay at the Sole Hope Guesthouse, which was really neat to see and meet Asher & Dru, the ones who started Sole Hope. We'll be putting an article about Sole Hope and our experience in the SMM Jan 2014 Newsletter (be sure to check it out!) 

Saturday afternoon we ate at a restaurant called Flavours. We sat outside and the boys were able to play with toys and swing on the swing as we waited on our food. Then it was nap time for the boys. That's when we took the opportunity to visit with the Shoe Makers for Sole Hope and see how the process worked. Then we were off to our dinner cruise down the Nile River. The cruise was absolutely amazing. There was a really nice breeze, it lasted for almost 2 hours and we were able to just take a break from all the paperwork, worries of the process and just enjoy a few hours of relaxation, food & drinks. 

Nile River Sunset

Sunday morning we were off to church at Acacia Community Church, then lunch at 2 Friends. After stopping at another local market in Jinja, we made our way back to Kampala to get ready for another busy week of waiting. Sunday evening we were able to FaceTime with friends & family at church. It was so uplifting to see everyone's smiling faces and to know that so many people are anxiously awaiting our return. 

Acacia Community Church

Monday we waited for our passport phone call, which we didn't receive. We did take the opportunity to visit the IOM office to make sure we had all of our paperwork, so that as soon as we receive our passport we can get that taken care of. 

Today we waited again for our passports, but so far, no news. It looks like we'll be going back on Friday to try and get them. We did get to visit Ms. Elizabeth's and see 2 other boys that are staying there right now, who's families are in the states. We took them a Christmas Basket full of fruit and wished them all a very Merry Christmas. They've not had power since yesterday, please say a special prayer for them tonight that power is restored. 

Tonight we'll be going out for dinner to celebrate Christmas Eve and tomorrow we'll be attending church to celebrate Christ's birth. 

We miss each and every one of you. We're excited that Christmas is tomorrow and hoping that our time of waiting will soon end and we'll begin to move along again towards the end of the week. 

Next Step... Passport Office

UPDATE ON ADOPTION PROCESS

We're moving along as we received our written ruling today from our Judge. This means that we'll be going to the passport office at 10am tomorrow (Thur morning). 

RECAP OF OUR LAST FEW DAYS

After our long trip to Queen Elizabeth's we decided to stay around and not do much these last few days. On Sunday we visited with the Goggins at the Speke and went to the pool. We had dinner with them and went over some adoption paperwork. 

Monday we visited the Attorney's office and picked up some groceries. Tuesday we stayed in all day and just hung out with the Hardings. Today we had the pleasure of going with the Harding's to Emmanuel's school for their end of the Semester Ceremony. We sang Christmas songs and heard from some of the classes, as they sang some Christmas songs as well. The school was really nice and it was so good to get out of the house and get into the Christmas spirit. The Hardings' house is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, with their decorations all put up, the tree decorated and Christmas music playing :) 

LETTERS FROM MISS IDSARDI'S CLASS

I must share these with you all, as they put a smile on my face. They were written after we had received the news that we wouldn't be coming to Uganda until January 2014. We will be skyping with her class on Friday morning :) 

Dear Jamie & Paul,

I know baby Eli is waiting and thinking, “Where’s my mom and dad? Are they coming for me soon?” Don’t worry, you’ll be in Uganda getting Eli  before you know it. The reason I know all about it is because your friend, or in my case, my teacher, Miss Idsardi, told me about it. I will be praying for you. Miss Idsardi is awesome. You have an awesome friend praying for you. Don’t be sad, Eli is probably being well fed, clean and is doing fine. You will be with Eli laughing and playing soon. He’ll be happy to see his loving, caring faces of his mom and dad. Keep your hopes up. You’ll see him soon.

Praying with hope, Melia

(sketched a picture of baby Eli & someone knelt down by their bed praying)

Dear Jamie & Paul,

I knew that you have been waiting so long for Eli. I even heard that you are so worried. Well don’t worry for God has a great big plan for you, and Eli. We prayed for you every day. I hope you get Eli soon! Here is a verse that will remind you not to be worried:

Psalm 91:4 – He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Psalms 91:7 – A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

From one of Miss Idsardi’s Students, Hanna

(sketched a picture of God’s arms wrapped around us, with Jamie, Paul & Eli in a heart)

To: Eli

I hope your parents are wonderful. All of us wish you a marry Christmas. I hope you will love your family! Have you heard the song called, what does the fox say it’s a great song its on utube look it up. It brings comfort!

From: Jacob lee

Dear Jamie and Paul,

I’m Anay from Miss Idsardi’s class. I know that you are waiting to get Baby Eli and I hope that time goes by fast! I’m sorry that your judge told you to wait for another judge to take over the case. You will be great parents for Eli, and I hope that he enjoys having you as parents.

Sincerely, Anay R.

Dear Eli,

I am so glad that you are getting to have a new family with your mom and dad, Jamie and Paul! My class at school has been praying to God that you will be safe for the rest of life. You are really lucky that there is one loving family just for you.

Sincerely, Newman W.

(sketched a picture of a Christmas tree)

Road Trip & Visit to Orphanage

We are finally back home and relaxing from a long road trip to Ibanda and to Mweya Lodge at Queen Elizabeth's National Park. Sarah arrived late Wednesday night after a delay and we woke up early on Thursday to head out. The trip on Thursday took about 12 hours. It was rainy most of the day, there was road construction, traffic and some good ole' red dirt roads. We visited Ibanda Babies Home which is where Eli was placed for a few months prior to being taken to the hospital in Kampala and then placed in Ms Elizabeth's Foster Home. Here we met the Sister over the babies home who was the same Sister that came to court on Friday. All the children were sleeping, so we did not get to meet or play with them. We received a tour of the facility, met some of the other ladies that helped out and gave our appreciation for all that they have done for Eli & for our family. 

Then we made our way to Mweya Lodge, which was another 3-4 hours away. This made for a very long day for all of us. The Lodge was beautiful!!! We wished we could have stayed longer for sure. Friday we went on a Safari (both land & water). We saw so many elephants, hyena's, crocodiles, hippos, baboons, water buffalo, antelopes, and even a lion in a tree. Yes, a lion in a tree... who knew that's where they sometimes sleep?!?! It was soooo cool. Eli did well, as well as a 10 month on a 12, 6, and 8 hour trip  could do for 3 days. It was soooo great to see Sarah. It just felt so good to see someone from home and of all people, Sarah :) 

We start another work week tomorrow and praying that things begin to move again with our process. For those of you specifically praying, please continue to pray for our written ruling which we have not received yet. This must be obtained prior to applying for Eli's passport. Also pray for our brand new Canon Camera, it's not working and so we are left with only our phones to snap pics & videos. Silly I know, but we'd like to capture as much as we can of Eli's country and where he was born. It's important to me to document as much as possible, so this is important to us. And for the Goggin's who are here with us as well, going through this process during the holidays with their first child, Dani. (Dani & Eli get to play together every few days as we visit with them at least once a week). 

A little more about Eli and things he likes and doesn't like... He LOVES food. He eats all the time. And he cries when he isn't being fed all the time. We are about to run out of puffs... which could potentially be disastrous for us. We are planing to replace puffs with Cherrios and we hope it does the trick. He hates clothes. He doesn't like wearing them, he doesn't like putting them on, he doesn't like taking them off. He also sweats a lot. So it works out for all of us that he is naked with just a diaper most of the time. He baby talks when he is happy, but still not distinct words. He enjoys holding our phones, touching the computer and bath time. Although bath time has now turned in to relaxing and pooping in the tub time. So we are trying to get away from bath time being poopy time, as it is messy for mama & daddy. 

We plan to stay around Kampala for quite some time and don't plan on traveling much this week. 

I'll be sending an update this next week with some amazing letters from some kids in Kenya that have been praying for us. They are all from Ms. Idsardi's class and I can't keep the letters to myself because they are such a testament to the God's love and how it covers the entire world and isn't just for 1 tribe or nation but for ALL! 

P.S. Tracy Pate... I had to chop on my hair, it was driving me crazy. You'll have some repairing to do when I get home, I begin to appreciate you more and more each day ;)

Growing Up

We'll it's been a few days since we've sent an update. Things are going well here in Uganda. Sunday we went with James (our driver) to Watoto Church. The music was amazing! We can't wait to go again. Eli did so well during church. He did fall asleep 1/2 way through and it got a little hot at that point, but we really enjoyed worshiping with so many others. They'll be hosting a Christmas Cantata later on in the month and we're excited about it. 

The Harding's (Kathy & Nigel) who we are staying with, have been an absolute God-Send! We are so very blessed to be in their home and to enjoy such wonderful fellowship with them and their son, Emmanuel, and the housekeepers (Richard, Robert & Christine). The home cooked meals at night have been my favorite part :) I can't imagine going out to eat every single night. The weather here has been nice. I've even had to put on my socks and a long sleeve shirt at night. It's not that it's that cold here (because it's not cold at all) but the wind & the fan allows for a nice cool evening. We still must sleep under nets every single night. Eli's net over his crib is somewhat of a sign for him, that it's time for bed and to go to sleep. 

Eli had to go to the doctor today and get a shot. He didn't like it one bit (nor did I). His leg was a little swollen this afternoon and he was very, VERY fussy. But we got him some meds that Mrs. Kathy suggested and he went from grumpy to happy in just a short time period. We've realized the more we feed him, the happier he is. So we fee him a lot right now. This makes for messy diapers (and messy bathtubs sometimes) but we're so grateful that he is eating well, enjoying it and growing. He weighed in at  19.4 pounds today. 

Tomorrow we will be getting ready for Sarah and packing for our trip out west to visit Eli's orphanage. It's a very long trip but we will end up at Mweya Lodge at Queen Elizabeth's which will be well worth the long trip. 

Remember that tomorrow is when we are suppose to get our ruling from our Judge. Please say a prayer for the entire situation before you go to bed tonight. Pray specifically that we receive a favorable ruling. We'd really like a verbal and written ruling at the same time, but most common is the verbal ruling first and the written ruling later. 

​Family of 3 in Uganda, 

Jamie, Paul & Eli 

Court & Dirty Diapers

Most of you are still sleeping... including Eli, he is taking a nap right now. 

Wanted to give you all a quick update from yesterday and how Eli is doing. 

Yesterday was very long. We woke up early at 6am and got ready for James to pick us up around 7:40am. Then we made our way to our Attorney as we were scheduled to be there by 9am. Upon arriving we got to meet our attorney, along with her wonderful staff. Then we had the opportunity to meet the witnesses in our case. 

We made our way to the courthouse around 12pm. We were hoping to be seen between 2pm - 3pm. But our Judge left and he did not return until 6pm and finally we were seen at 6:30pm. I won't be going over details of court in this email or on the blog. They will be left for us to share personally as we see you all. Court was over around 7:30pm. It took us awhile to get home as we dropped off our Attorney, dropped off the Sister, got some dinner and then made our way back home. We are expected to receive a ruling on Wed. We will keep you all posted as we hear something. But please don't be alarmed if we are not able to get the update to you right away. This is normal practice in Uganda. Please continue to pray. The ruling is very important and we must have it verbally & in writing before we can proceed to the next step. 

Although the day was very long, Eli was amazing! He played the entire time with both Paul & I. He was extremely talkative the whole day. We were certain that he'd be crashing as soon as we got home, but he stayed up in his crib just playing and talking for about an hour. He's had some issues with not going to the bathroom as frequently as we'd like. And so we were very concerned that these "issues" would relieve themselves while at court yesterday. So we all had an extra change of clothes, just in case. Although there were no accidents at court, when we woke up this morning we were beginning to get concerned about him not going. But then shortly after waking up, he went. YAY for dirty diapers!

Today (Saturday) is the first day we will be staying home all day and not doing anything but hanging out. We have been waiting for a day like this since we left the U.S. on Sunday. We are finally washing some bottles, clothes, and cleaning up our area. Sending you all updates, returning emails & face booking of course. We are also preparing for Sarah Idsardi to be jointing us on Wednesday night and our travels to the Babies Home on Thursday (which is a 6 hour trip).

Please don't forget that there are 3 other families here with us in Uganda. They are not staying at the same place, but we visit with them often. Please keep them in your prayers as well. Each of them have special prayer requests as they have all met their new additions and are in the process of bonding as well. 

Riding Around Town

Most of our day was spent in the car riding around town. Eli & I sat in the back while Daddy & James were in the front. We went to Parliament (which is where we got a family photo which is required by the judge), the Tombs (also required by the judge), Eli got a little fussy at the tombs, but James (one of our drivers) was AMAZING with him. He fed him, knew when to change his diaper, knew when he needed his face wiped, knew what foods to buy for him... he was AMAZING & a pure Godsend! We also went to the grocery store and got some food. We've had nothing but pizza since we've been here and have had to skip out on lunch several times. So now we have some lunch meat & bread for some sandwiches. Today we conquered Eli's feeding schedule, good feeding schedule = happy baby. He fussed only when he wanted food but other than that he did great. He began to play in the bathtub today, splashing around and when we got him all dried up... we finally started to get some smiles & giggling out of him. He definatly likes playing more with Paul than I, and he cries every time Paul leaves the room. But I'm the one that feeds & changes him, so he always comes back to me :) 

Kathy & Nigel (who we are staying with) are fantastic. They made chicken, rice, and some veggies for us tonight and we even had some fresh fruit. Eli had some of the mangos and loved them. We really enjoyed eating with their family. We plan to continue to do so as much as possible. It helps keep Eli on his schedule, even though we'd like to be adventurous... routine routine routine is sooo important right now. 

We'll be going to visit with some of the other families tomorrow. Then we'll be getting ready to prepare for court. Very nervous about Friday and my anxiety level is already high even though it's only Wednesday. Please just say a special prayer when you go to bed on Thursday night as we will be waking up on Friday and preparing for a very important day. God is in control and we believe that he has already gone before us to pave the way... I just have to keep telling my mind and stomach these truths :) Much easier said than done. Court can be very very long (4-7 hours). Please pray for Eli to be calm and settled. When he is calm I usually am, but as soon as he gets fussy, I start to panic some. 

Last bit of exciting news... Sarah Idsardi is coming next weekend. We can't wait to see her! Eli is excited as well (he just doesn't know it yet :)

I'm receiving each one of your emails, and I enjoy reading them all. But because of limited wifi it is very difficult to email back. Maybe when things settle down, I will. But for now, please continue to pray!!!